This position is closer than almost anyone would have expected at the start of the season. USC’s Matt Barkley hasn’t met the enormous preseason expectations – Heisman Trophy, national championship – and UCLA’s Brett Hundley, with almost no expectations a couple months ago, has been stellar as a freshman starter. Still, this is a rivalry game in front of 90,000 fired-up partisans, so experience counts for something. Barkley, while not superhuman this season, has basically matched his numbers from 2011, and if USC’s offensive line gives him time, he should be able to find some soft spots in the UCLA secondary. The bigger question is, how will Hundley respond? This is the biggest moment, so far, of his young career. He has only nine interceptions in 329 attempts. If he can play mistake-free, the Bruins will have a great chance. EDGE: USC

RUNNING BACKS

Without much national hype, UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin is putting together one of the most impressive seasons in the country. Franklin’s 1,270 rushing yards are eighth-most in the NCAA, and his senior leadership has been credited for the calmness of Hundley in the huddle. Both teams figure to try to establish the run early, in order to take the pressure off the quarterbacks. This could be especially important for UCLA. USC’s depth at running back is a major question. Silas Redd missed last week’s game but is expected to be available this Saturday. D.J. Morgan has been dinged up throughout the year. That leaves Curtis McNeal, a very capable runner but one also prone to injury. The Arizona State game is a good template for USC. They would like to get the running game going early and soften up UCLA’s defense. Redd’s health will be a major factor. EDGE: UCLA

RECEIVERS

It’s an embarrassment of riches for USC. A team that has two future NFL receivers, in Marqise Lee and Robert Woods, also has a field-stretching freshman in Nelson Agholor and a pair of tight ends (Randall Telfer and Xavier Grimble) that would be a major threat in any other offense. Is this the week that a team really focuses on trying to take away Lee? Then it could be Woods’ time to re-emerge on the stat sheet. UCLA’s group of receivers is deep, but lacks a star. If the Bruins find success, it could be in the middle of the field, where USC’s defense can sometimes be soft. Joseph Fauria, at 6-foot-7, is a great target, and while Shaquelle Evans isn’t the biggest of receivers (6-1), he’s unafraid to go into tight spots. If either defense starts pinching down, both teams can exploit that by using talented receivers on play-action passes. EDGE: USC

OFFENSIVE LINE

This could be what decides the game. One area that has gone under-noticed for USC this season is the fact that its line has allowed 14 sacks in 10 games, up from eight sacks in all of last season. UCLA’s defensive ends and linebackers are fast and talented, and if Barkley starts feeling the heat, it could be a long day for the Trojans. USC’s line, though, did an outstanding job of run blocking last week, and that will be equally important to USC’s game plan. UCLA’s offensive line is young and somewhat inconsistent, but talented. Like their Trojan counterparts, the Bruins have allowed a lot of sacks (31), but they’re also blocking for a quarterback who isn’t afraid to hold the ball and move with it. UCLA has opened up some nice running space for Franklin this season, but the Bruins need to be prepared to face an aggressive USC pass rush. EDGE: EVEN

DEFENSIVE LINE

UCLA lines up in a 3-4 defensive formation, and the play of its two quick ends is critical. Datone Jones and Cassius Marsh combined for a massive game against Arizona State three weeks ago, with a total of 18 tackles, and Marsh in particular has been strong of late, with at least one sack in each of his last four games and a total of 5.5 sacks in his last four. If UCLA’s front is disruptive, it will make things easier for the rest of the defense. USC’s front four had a major turnaround last week against Arizona State. After an awful effort the week before against Oregon, the Trojans looked renewed. Morgan Breslin, Wes Horton, George Uko and Leonard Williams all made plays, and even backup Greg Townsend got in on the action. A repeat effort will be needed. USC needs to not only slow down Franklin but also put some doubts in Hundley’s mind. EDGE: USC

LINEBACKERS

There’s a lot of talent at this position, a handful of fast, good-tackling linebackers on both sides. It’s been a fantastic junior season for UCLA’s Anthony Barr, who moved over from running back and has recorded 11 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. USC will have to keep a constant eye on Barr while somehow avoiding the unit’s leader, Eric Kendricks, a sophomore who has averaged 15 tackles in each of his last three games. USC’s ability to handle and pester Hundley could come down to the play of its deep group of linebackers. Dion Bailey and Hayes Pullard can enter a play in the blink of an eye and deliver a critical tackle. The speed and versatility of this group allows the Trojans to cover the field well. If USC’s defensive front does its job, it will free up the linebackers to do what they do best, create some havoc from sideline to sideline. EDGE: USC

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Neither group of cornerbacks has really distinguished itself this season. USC has a star at corner in Nickell Robey, but the Trojans’ season-long quest to find at least one reliable corner opposite Robey has been mostly fruitless. UCLA’s corners are tall and quick but haven’t made a lot of impact plays, and pass defense has not been a strength for the Bruins, who will need a big game from senior Sheldon Price. The news is a little bit better for both teams at safety, and that’s where the Trojans have the edge, with seniors T.J. McDonald and Jawanza Starling. This pair must be mindful of staying in position, particularly if Hundley starts scrambling around and looking to make a play. Patience and intelligence will be key USC figures to attempt to test UCLA safeties Andrew Abbott and Tevin McDonald with some deep-passing attempts. EDGE: USC

SPECIAL TEAMS

Can UCLA keep the ball away from Lee on kickoff returns? There’s a good chance. This season, 78 percent of UCLA kickoffs have gone for touchbacks. Keeping the ball out of Lee’s hands is a very good idea. That task falls to Jeff Locke, who is also one of the country’s best punters. UCLA has done a good job on coverage this season, allowing opponents averages of only 21.3 yards on kickoff returns and 6.1 yards on punt returns. USC’s coverage teams have allowed 22.7 and 9.2 yards, respectively, so things are close there. Locke gives UCLA the kicking-game edge. USC punter Kyle Negrete had an uncharacteristically poor day last week against Arizona State. Neither kicker, UCLA’s Ka’imi Fairbairn or USC’s Andre Heidari, has made an attempt of longer than 41 yards this season, but both have been consistent from inside 40 yards. EDGE: UCLA

COACHING

In terms of team records and national rankings, there’s not much difference between USC and UCLA, and that would have seemed inconceivable just a couple months ago. First-year coach Jim Mora has done an outstanding job molding some young talent and making the Bruins believe that they could win this year, and that they weren’t just laying a foundation for future success. Other than some personality quirks, Mora has been a model coach for UCLA. Things have been far bumpier for his USC counterpart, Lane Kiffin. One week, Kiffin (as de facto offensive coordinator) took heat for his play-calling. The next week, he took heat when his defense got shredded, a defense coached by his father. Beyond that, many of USC’s problems this season have come from penalties and turnovers, and that doesn’t reflect well on the coaching staff. EDGE: UCLA

INTANGIBLES

Who has the pressure here? It’s tough to tell. USC carries the burden of trying to keep alive a five-year winning streak over UCLA, but the Bruins (particularly the seniors) might feel some anxiety to end that streak. This game is for the Pac-12 South championship and a spot in the conference championship game in two weeks. USC is more accustomed to playing in high-pressure games than UCLA, but will the Bruins, who have already far exceeded preseason expectations, be looser, feeling as though they have less to lose? USC knows what is at stake. Just a few weeks ago, the Trojans had visions of playing in Miami for a national championship. Now, unless they beat UCLA, the Trojans are staring down the possibility of New Year’s Eve in El Paso. Reaching the Rose Bowl is still possible for USC, and that’s the hope to which it now clings. EDGE: USC

MATCHUP TO WATCH

Franklin has been a consistent force at running back for UCLA this season, while USC’s defensive line has been inconsistent. Whether the Bruins can get a ground game going against the Trojans will have a big impact on the game. UCLA needs to take some early pressure off its freshman quarterback, while USC wants to force Hundley to make the plays to beat them. Franklin has certainly showed the ability to rise to the occasion. In consecutive tough games against Arizona State and Arizona, Franklin rushed for 164 and 162 yards, respectively, with four touchdowns. If USC’s defensive front plays the way it did last week, though, USC will be able to breathe easier. Arizona State came into last week’s game with a trio of solid running backs, but they totaled only 80 yards and the Sun Devils didn’t have a run longer than 14 yards.

PREDICTION: USC, 38-31

No matter what, this game is a victory for Los Angeles football fans. As with any rivalry, UCLA-USC is at its best when both teams are good, and this would appear to be the most evenly matched crosstown game in a decade. There’s nothing to suggest that a blowout for either team is on the horizon. Both offenses are capable of putting up big numbers, and both defenses are shaky enough that a shootout might be the likely outcome. The young Bruins are fearless, and the Trojans have yet to win a tight game this season against a solid opponent. Still, if it’s a close contest that comes down to game-breakers, give the edge to USC. The Bruins have been impressive, but the Trojans still have Barkley, Lee and Woods, and enough offensive firepower to hold off the Bruins for at least one more year.

Rich Hammond was a high school senior when the Rams left town in 1995, and now he's their beat writer for the Southern California News Group. A native of L.A., Rich broke in at the Daily Breeze as a college freshman and also has covered USC, the Kings, the Lakers and the Dodgers. He still loves sports and telling stories. Don't take the sarcastic tweets too seriously.

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.